It is previously known to use various systems for transport and feeding of piece goods, such as the products of a manufacturing process, from one place to another. For example, such systems could include transport tracks and control devices intended for sorting, distribution and grouping of such products.
In the above-mentioned systems, transport devices are normally used for forwarding the products in a running flow at a certain speed. Such transport devices would then be arranged in accordance with the current application, and might for example be arranged for feeding a product from a first station comprising a manufacturing process to a second station comprising packaging of a number of such products.
For some types of product flow within a manufacturing process, very high flow rates may occur. As an example of such a flow, the manufacture of paper, to be used for example as toilet and kitchen roll paper, could be mentioned. In such a manufacturing process, initially very long paper rolls are manufactured, which are subsequently cut into a very large number of smaller rolls (i.e. the finished toilet and kitchen rolls) of a predetermined length. These finished rolls are then conveyed further to a station for grouping into larger units, e.g. packages of eight rolls, which are subsequently conveyed to a further station for packaging, e.g. into bales in turn comprising eight such packages.
In connection with the above process, a very high paper feeding speed will entail a further, substantial increase of the flow rate after the cutting into separate rolls. This flow rate increase could then cause a requirement for distributing the flow of finished rolls from a main flow into a larger number of subsequent flows. For example, one single manufacturing station could then be used for producing a flow of rolls being fed to five or ten subsequent stations for grouping and packaging.
In this connection it is previously known to distribute manufactured products from a main flow into several subsequent partial flows, i.e. into one of several different paths of a subsequent flow. Such known systems are however characterised by a relatively low flow rate, as the main flow has to be stopped during a short period of time, in which the product in the front rank of the main flow is guided into one of the subsequent partial flows. Only then can the main flow go on, whereupon the procedure will be repeated with the following product.
The problem may in some cases be solved by designing the manufacturing process in question with large buffers, or with dedicated extended conveyors. One problem with such solutions is, however, their space requirement. This in turn will be a disadvantage when producing for example in factories with a small floor area.
One object of the present invention is to provide an improved arrangement for the control of a flow of units, e.g. manufactured products, whereby the above-mentioned problems can be solved.